Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that her office has completed its examination of the practices of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts related to the disposition of fetal tissue. Attorney General Healey said in a statement that her office "conducted a thorough review and found that Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts' health care centers are fully compliant with state and federal laws regarding the disposition of fetal tissue." The investigation concluded that "although donation of fetal tissue is permissible under state and federal law, PPLM does not have a tissue donation program. There is no evidence that PPLM is involved in any way in the buying or selling of tissue." Attorney General Healey expressed strong support for PPLM, stating that she will "fight to support Planned Parenthood and preserve the essential health services that they provide to so many women."
Attorney General Healey announced her office's intent to review PPLM's activities in Massachusetts on July 22, 2015, following the release of two hidden-camera video clips by an organization calling itself the Center for Medical Progress. Those clips purport to show Planned Parenthood's senior director of medical services discussing the illegal sale of fetal tissue with two actors posing as potential buyers from a human biologics company. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America has maintained that that all of the organization's tissue donation programs comply with applicable laws and ethical guidelines, although it has acknowledged the "lack of compassion" displayed by its staffer.
The release of these video clips sparked inquiries into Planned Parenthood's tissue donation practices by several state attorneys general as well as a call by some legislators for a Congressional investigation. At least one state attorney general, Kamala Harris of California, has opened an investigation into whether the Center for Medical Progress complied with the law when it created these undercover videos.
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